Edgeware Village master rebuild planning sessions well attended

More than 80 people have taken part in the Council-led Suburban Centres Programme workshops and community drop-in sessions on the recovery of Edgeware Village shopping centre over the past two weeks.

Programme Manager District Planning Brigitte de Ronde says the community came out in good numbers to share local knowledge, air their views and identify their top priorities. The workshops and drop-in sessions were designed to find out what people want for the future of their area.

"We heard from business people, property owners, community leaders and local residents. A wide range of information and some really interesting, innovative ideas came through. People liked the idea of enhancing the 'village feel' of Edgeware through the creation of wider footpaths, a weekend market and places for people to meet and socialise.

"Other ideas included plantings and greenery and the repair or replacement of key community facilities. Accessibility and traffic issues, including vehicle speeds, better car parking and pedestrian spaces also featured," she says.

"Over the past 14 months the Council has engaged with six suburban centres and heard from thousands of people who have put forward great ideas, hopes and dreams; and challenges to overcome. Edgeware is no exception - people from this community are eager to be involved and have their say on the rebuild and recovery of their centre," he says.

The Council will now work on the next stage of the master planning process - the 'design element'. This involves discussions on how suggestions and ideas from the community could work, and testing them against current best practice.

Ideas and options will be presented to the community in the draft Edgeware Village Master Plan, which the Council aims to have ready for public consultation later this year.